TRIP INDEX by year

TRIP INDEX – by year

The following lists chronological the foreign birding trips that I have done.  Also included are a few family trips to decent birding locations.  In time I hope to 'blog' them all, and those that have been done are shown in bold with a link.  All the older blogs use scanned slides (or digitised prints of varying quality).  Some of the slides have degraded badly with age.  Some blogs use photos take by those I was with (they are easy to tell as they are significantly better than mine).  Most blogs are heavily reliant on my unreliable memories.  They were initially done to find a 'home' for my old boxes of slides which I had not looked at for years. Doing these blogs has brought back many very happy memories, and a few sad ones - I’ve been very fortunate in having various like-minded friends, some sadly no longer with us, whom I have usually been able to travel with.  Virtually all were budget trips -  if they had not been I doubt that I could have afforded to do half as many, and probably not had half as much fun long the way, although I would doubtless have seen more birds but you can't have everything.

Kagu, New Caledonia August 1998 (digitised print taken with an instamatic).  One of my all-time top 3 birds.  Giant Pitta (1987) and Wilson's Bird of Paradise (1993) are the others.

1974:  MAJORCA (October)
          brief mention in The 1970s: finding my feet - 1974 blog








1975:  CARMARGUE (May)
          included in The 1970s: Camargue, Shetland & Scillies in 1975 blog
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1975_12_01_archive.html

1977:  MOROCCO (April)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1977_04_01_archive.html

             KENYA (December-January 1978)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1977_12_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1978_0_01_archive.html

1978:  THAILAND (December-January 1979)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1978_12_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_01_01_archive.html

1979:  ISRAEL (March/April)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_04_01_archive.html

            CANARIES (June/July)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_07_01_archive.html

             NEPAL (November-January 1980)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_11_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_12_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1980_01_01_archive.html

1980:  CANADA (May)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1980_05_01_archive.html

            THAILAND (December-January 1981)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1980_12_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1981_01_01_archive.html

1982: MALAYSIA (January/February)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_01_01_archive.html
            THAILAND (February)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_02_01_archive.html
            NEPAL (March/June)
          Jomson Trek
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_03_01_archive.html
          Everest Trek
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_04_01_archive.html
          Langtang Trek
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_05_01_archive.html
            INDIA (June/July)
          Ladakh
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_06_01_archive.html
          Kashmir
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_07_01_archive.html

           VENEZUELA (December-February 1983)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1983_01_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1983_02_01_archive.html

1983:  KENYA (July/August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1983_08_01_archive.html

1984:  PERU (July/August)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1984_08_01_archive.html

            BOTSWANA (December-January 1985) 
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1984_12_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1985_01_01_archive.html  

1985:  COSTA RICA (July/August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1985_08_01_archive.html

1986:  AUSTRALIA (March/April)
           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1986_03_01_archive.html
           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1986_04_01_archive.html
           ECUADOR: July/August 1986
           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1986_08_01_archive.html

1987:  MALAYSIA (July/August) 
           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1987_08_01_archive.html


1988: THAILAND (March/April)
           BRAZIL (July/August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1988_07_01_archive.html
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1988_08_01_archive.html

1989:  ICELAND (June)               

1990:  ARGENTINA (August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1990_08_01_archive.html


1991:  SOUTH AFRICA (August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1991_08_01_archive.html

1992:  INDONESIA Sulawesi & Halmahera (August)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1992_08_01_archive.html

1993:  INDONESIA Irian Jaya (August)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1993_08_01_archive.html

1995:  MADAGASCAR (August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1995_08_01_archive.html

1996:  PHILIPPINES (April)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1996_04_01_archive.html

            NEW ZEALAND (August)   

1997:  VIETNAM (March/April)     


1998:  AUSTRALIA & NEW CALEDONIA (July/August)        


1999:  ECUADOR (August/September)
           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1999_09_01_archive.html


2000:  CHINA Quinghai (June)

2001:  PUERTO RICO & DOMINION REPUBLIC (April)

           GAMBIA (November)

2002:  CHILE (April)

2003:  JAPAN (January)

           CAMEROON (April)

2004:  CUBA (April)

           PAPUA NEW GUINEA (June)

           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2004_06_01_archive.html


2005:  TEXAS (Aprill)

           INDONESIA Sumatra & West Java (July)

2006:  PAPUA NEW GUINEA (August)

2007:  INDIA Eaglenest (April)          

2008:  PHILIPPINES (April)
           http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2008_04_01_archive.html
           NAMIBIA (July/August)

2009:  VIETNAM (April)

          Cat Tien & Da Lat plateau
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2009_04_01_archive.html

2010:  CHINA (May/June)

          Shanghai (Spoon-billed Sandpiper), Wuishan, Fuzhou & Xiaolongmen
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2010_05_01_archive.html
          Xi’an & Yangxian (Crested Ibis)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/china-31-may-2-june-2010-xian-and.html
          Pingtai (Jankowski’s Bunting)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/china-3-5-june-2010-pingtai-xiainghai.html

            UGANDA (June)

          Mbamba (Shoebill), Kibale (Green-breasted Pitta) & Bwindi (African Green Broadbill)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2010_06_01_archive.html

2011:  ETHIOPIA (February)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011_02_01_archive.html

           TAIWAN (April/May)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011_04_01_archive.html

2012:  TURKEY (June)

          Demirkazik
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/04-june-2012-demirkazik.html
          Birecik
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/06-june-2012-birecik-and-durnalik.html
          Nemrut Dagi
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/08-june-2012-nemrut-dagi.html

            MALAYSIA Sarawak & Sabah (July/August)

          Kuching, Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley, Sepilok and Mount Kinabalu
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012_08_01_archive.html

2013:  CORSICA (May)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/corsica-col-de-sorba-restonica-valley.html

            INDONESIA West Papua (August)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2013_08_01_archive.html

2014:  SPAIN Extremadura (April)

          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2014_04_01_archive.html
           COLOMBIA (July/August)
          http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/colombia-2014-arrival-rio-blanco-19-20.html


2015:  ECUADOR (January/February)

TRIP INDEX

The following birding trips have been 'blogged'.  All the older ones use scanned slides or digitised prints of varying quality.  All are heavily reliant on unreliable memories as only for the 1982 Asian trip did I make anything other than very rudimentary diary entries.  The blogs are done mainly to find a 'home' for my boxes of old slides but may be of wider interest. Other trips will be added as and when time allows.



ARGENTINA:  August 1990
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1990_08_01_archive.html

AUSTRALIA:  March/April 1986
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1986_03_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1986_04_01_archive.html


BOTSWANA: December 1984/January 1985
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1984_12_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1985_01_01_archive.html  


BRAZIL:  July/August 1988

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1988_07_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1988_08_01_archive.html

CANADA:  May 1980
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1980_05_01_archive.html



CANARIES:  June/July 1979
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_07_01_archive.html

CHINA:  May/June 2010

Shanghai (Spoon-billed Sandpiper), Wuishan & Fuzhou (Chinese Crested Tern) http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2010_05_01_archive.html

Pingtai (Jankowski’s Bunting)

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/china-3-5-june-2010-pingtai-xiainghai.html

COLOMBIA:  July/August 2014
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/colombia-2014-arrival-rio-blanco-19-20.html

CORSICA:  May 2013
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/corsica-col-de-sorba-restonica-valley.html

COSTA RICA:  July/August 1985
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1985_08_01_archive.html

ECUADOR: July/August 1986
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1986_08_01_archive.html
                    August/September 1999
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1999_09_01_archive.html

ETHIOPIA:  February 2011

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011_02_01_archive.html

INDIA:  June/July 1982

Ladakh

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_06_01_archive.html

Kashmir

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_07_01_archive.html

INDONESIA:  August 1992  Sulawesi & Halmahera
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1992_08_01_archive.html
                       August 1993 Irian Jaya
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1993_08_01_archive.html
                       August 2013 West Papua (Irian Jaya)
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2013_08_01_archive.html



ISRAEL:  March/April 1979
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_04_01_archive.html



KENYA:  December 1977/January 1978
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1977_12_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1978_01_01_archive.html
                July/August 1983
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1983_08_01_archive.html

MADAGASCAR:  August 1995
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1995_08_01_archive.html

MALAYSIA:  January/February 1982 West Malaysia

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_01_01_archive.html

                      July/August 1987 Sabah & West Malaysia
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1987_08_01_archive.html
                     July/August 2012 Sarawak & Sabah

Kuching, Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley, Sepilok and Mount Kinabalu

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012_08_01_archive.html

MOROCCO:  April 1977
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1977_04_01_archive.html

NEPAL:  November 1979-January 1980
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_11_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_12_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1980_01_01_archive.html
                March/June 1982

Jomson Trek

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_03_01_archive.html

Everest Trek

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_04_01_archive.html

Langtang Trek

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_05_01_archive.html

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:  June 2004
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2004_06_01_archive.html

PERU: July/August 1984
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1984_08_01_archive.html

PHILIPPINES: Easter 1996
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1996_04_01_archive.html
                           Easter 2008
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2008_04_01_archive.html



SOUTH AFRICA:  August 1991
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1991_08_01_archive.html


SPAIN:  Easter 2014 Extremadura
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2014_04_01_archive.html


TAIWAN:  April/May 2011

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2011_04_01_archive.html

THAILAND:   December 1978/January 1979
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1978_12_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1979_01_01_archive.html
                      December 1980/January 1981                     
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1980_12_01_archive.html
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1981_01_01_archive.html
                      February 1982

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1982_02_01_archive.html

TURKEY:  June 2012

Demirkazik

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/04-june-2012-demirkazik.html

Birecik

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/06-june-2012-birecik-and-durnalik.html

Nemrut Dagi

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/08-june-2012-nemrut-dagi.html

UGANDA:  June 2010

Mbamba (Shoebill), Kibale (Green-breasted Pitta) & Bwindi (African Green Broadbill)

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2010_06_01_archive.html

VENEZUELA: December 1982/February 1983
Henri Pittier, the Andes and the Llanos
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1983_01_01_archive.html
Bolivar and the north coast
http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/1983_02_01_archive.html

VIETNAM:  April 2009

Cat Tien & Da Lat plateau 

http://birdingneversleeps.blogspot.co.uk/2009_04_01_archive.html

Chichester Gravel Dips (10-11 January)

Sunday 11th.  A return to East Trout Lake arriving soon after dawn.  today I ranged more widely, the weather was much nicer but the end result the same after another five hours. No Dusky Warbler seen or heard, one Cetti's Warbler (seen better than yesterday's), female Red-crested Pochard, Kingfisher and not much else.  An afternoon wander over Beeding Brooks with Megan was as disappointing with 40 Redwings best.  The only consolation is that this coming week should be the last that I have to work five days so I shouldn't have to spend a week at work waiting to be able to get away. A very nice thought!

Saturday 10th.  A very poor but improving forecast and a low tide meant that I started at the Adur (very little), moved on to Widewater (female Common Scoter and two pairs of Red-breasted Merganser) before heading west.  The Bewick's Swan flock were showing distantly from Burpham with 33 birds present.  I then headed to Chichester Gravel pits where I spent five hours to dusk mainly along the eastern edge of East Trout Lake not seeing or hearing the Dusky Warbler nicely found by Ads Bowley at the beginning of the week, and seemingly getting successively harder to see each day.  A brief moment of excitement was caused by a skulking Cetti's Warbler before it showed enough of itself for a certain identification while the Red-crested Pochard was on Triangle Lake.

large gulls on the Adur (still trying out the new SX60)

Common Scoter on Widewater

not quick enough for the merganser

Herring Gull at Widewater with stained or aberrant feathers

female Red-crested Pochard on Triangle Lake

West Rise, Pevensey and Jevington (4 January)

Sunday 4th.  I met John King outside Lewes and drove to West Rise Marsh arriving just after Simon Linington and John Gowers.  Good timing as by the time we caught up with them they had located the Bearded Tit flock. They weren't being particularly co-operative but some of the ten including a couple of males gave good if brief views.  We also saw 11 Snipe, Kingfisher, Water Pipit (flight views - are they always like this here), Raven and a Barnacle Goose with some Canadas.  Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler were heard. Pevensey Levels had attracted a small crowd who had located the Richard's Pipit just as we arrived.  It started off at a similar distance to my previous visit, although in better light, but then moved to the back of the field where it was more often out of sight.  Hen and Marsh Harriers were also nice to see.  A number of familiar faces dropped in while we were there including John, Doreen & David Cooper and Brenda Kay and, as we were leaving, Matt Eade.  We continued to Jevington where the Rough-legged Buzzard was sitting in a distant tree. It flew into the field before returning to a more distant tree where it attracted the attention of a couple of Magpies.  They moved it on further away and more against the light.  Almost as interesting were a Grey Wagtail and 3 Chiffchaffs feeding in the sunny side of a nearby roof. We tried Friston Forest seeing at least 4 Brambling with a flock of about 50 Chaffinches in the Butchershole car park.  I called in at the Adur on my way home where 1000+ black-headed Gulls flew south to roost.

Richard's Pipit on Pevensey Levels

Brambling in Friston Forest

dark Herring Gull on the Adur

 

it appeared to be a third-winter with very retarded body plumage?  It had small white tips to the primaries and an indistinct tail band

dark picture of dark Herring Gull.  By now the light had gone and shortly after it flew south to roost

Saturday 3rd.  A wet morning started with an hour's seawatch from my car at Splash Point seeing single Red-throated Diver and auk and a handful of Fulmars, Gannets and Kittiwakes.  Beachy was better with 2 Tawny Owls, 200+ Sky Larks and 11 Corn Buntings. I came home via Jevington but in deteriorating weather and up in the clouds I could hardly see the other side of the field.  750+ Stock Doves were present and single Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer.